Ceylinco Life grants Rs. 18 mn worth ‘Pranama Scholarships’

Recipients of Ceylinco Life Pranama scholarships for their performances at the GCE Advanced Level examination

A new group of 128 high-achieving young Sri Lankans received a significant boost to their academic journeys when Ceylinco Life presented them with Pranama scholarships recently, at the 24th edition of this annual event that has become a hallmark of the company’s commitment to nurturing future leaders.

This year’s presentation brought the total number of scholarships awarded under the programme since its inception in 2002 to 3,466, representing a cumulative value of Rs. 240 million. 

The latest round alone disbursed Rs. 18 million across four tiers of scholarships, recognising outstanding performance at national examinations, district-level rankings, and exceptional achievements in sports, the arts and other creative fields.

The Chief Guest, Vice Chancellor of the Sabaragamuwa University, Prof. Sunil Shantha, in his keynote address paid tribute to Ceylinco Life’s 24-year journey with Pranama, observing that the programme has already helped produce leaders now serving in key roles both in Sri Lanka and overseas. 

He stressed that education is the one source of wealth that can never be stolen, providing knowledge and skills that open career opportunities, strengthen decision-making, build confidence to take risks, and foster personal as well as societal growth. Education, he said, is integral to economic progress, poverty reduction, and the cultivation of problem-solving and adaptability that nations require to advance.

Welcoming the latest batch of recipients, Ceylinco Life Executive Director/Deputy CEO Ranga Abeynayake said the Company takes great pride in the achievements of past Pranama scholars, many of whom are today doctors, engineers, lawyers, academics and entrepreneurs. Commenting on the rapid transformation of the world through technology and artificial intelligence, he said that while the current generation of parents ensures children are equipped with education, it is these young scholars who must elevate Sri Lanka to global technological standards. 

“We need creative and innovative minds that seek to break new ground and think differently,” he declared. “That is the challenge we place before our Pranama scholarship recipients today.”

Adding a resonant personal dimension to the event, past scholarship winner Sahan Karawita, now pursuing a PhD in mathematics and theoretical physics at Brown University in the USA, addressed the gathering virtually. His journey exemplified the long-term impact of the Ceylinco Life Pranama scholarships programme and the potential for its beneficiaries to shine internationally.